Conveyer



March 2o, 1945. w H, HUDSON CONVEYER Filed July l5, 1942 7 SheetS-Sheet l lnfma March 20, 1945. w, H, HUDSON 2,371,624

CONVEYER Filed .July 15, 1942 7 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

March 20, 1945.

CONVEYER Filed July 15, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENToR. {lli/[2am 77%#50/2 March 20, 1945.

W. H. HUDSON I GQNVEYER Filed July 15, 1942 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 VEN TOR. l

Hfen/wege.

March 20, 1945. l w; H. HUDSON CONVEYER Filed July 15, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 March 20, 1945. w. H. HUDSON CON VEYER Filed July 1.5, 1942 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Patented Mar. 2o, 1945 l comme i i "William H. Hudson, Detroit, vMich., assigner to DetrotResea'rch Laboratoricslnc., NewYork, l

N. Y., a corporation of Delaware o Application July 15.

1942, serial No.4s1,o2 e

This invention relates to conveyers for 4carry.- ing and conveying work Pieces in a factory or the While such conveyers have fbeenI extensively t used, particularly in the automotive and related industries, the manufacture, fabrication and `in 4 stallation of a conveyer in a particular plant or factory has been and .is now quite expensive. Since the factories or buildings varyin construe# tion and layout and since the requirements of different factories vary over a wide range, it hasrbeen practically the universal practice to iirst send a conveyer engineer into the plant-andthen, based on his iindingsand recommendations, a conveyer` system is tailor made, so to speak,for,that pariticular installation. Moreover,` many factories refquire only a relatively light conveyer system but they aretobliged to use anunnecessarily heavy and accordingly unnecessarily expensive construction.

The principal objectof this invention isto provide-a conveyersystem which can be'manufactured more or less on the production basis and which, due to itsnature and construction, `can be relatively` easily installed. It is the aim of the invention to provide a conveyer system comprised largely of standard parts and elements, and, moreover, a system Where such standard parts or elements are relatively few in number. AThe pur-.

pose and idea is to provide a conveyer which will t carry a reasonably heavy load but which,A due to its simplicity of construction andinstallation, and due to the fact that it can be made of standard parts, the conveyer can be obtained and used at costs which are economical for work of a very light nature. Y U

`'Ihere are a :number oi featuresof novelty in the conveyer which makes possible the above purposes. These include a novel track, construction for the trolleys which can be fabricated largely fromstandard iron lengths, such as angle iron, supported and united together by novel connec tors which may serve either as connectors `or hangers or both. At the location'oi curves or turns in the. track standard sections are lprovided. The conveyer includes a chain and anovel chain construction is afforded for facilitating movement thereof through the track and` through strongly and adjustably mounted. In many cases the sprocket has to. be of considerable size so'that thelradius is large enoughfto permit .ofthe work 'piecesparried by the chain to move th`rough'an-"` arc on the vradius Vwithout objectionable inter-;

ference. `In accordance with my invention I dist pense `with meansfor taking up slack in the chain to the contrary, I providea novel arrangement for.

" theaccumulation of slack while `at the same time supporting the chain and the work as eciently and strongly as though. there'were no slackin lp thechain. v. These and other items oft-novelty,` including other objects, will` be more readily understoodas the following` detailed description `is considered in l conjunction `with the accompanying drawings..`

lo Inthese drawingsi. t t o .l `Fig. 1 `is .a side elevationalvievv illustrating, so ewhat Idiagrammatically, a partof a-conveyer.

system,V t

Fig.. 2 is a viewwshowing a horizontal turnin `iithetrack. o

t f Fig. 3ds an enlarged View with parts cutaway showing the track, thefconveyer chain and the trolleys.4 t o .l v "he Fig. v4 is a crosssectional view takensubstantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 3; showingaconnector and supporting bracket and showingthe track A and .trolley` structure.. o

. Fig. 5 is atop plan view veyerchain. y g 3o Fig. 6` is aview showing "a curved track section foracurve ror bend in the track in a horizontal plane. t

Fig. 'lis. a sectional viewitaken on line l`r1 o fy a curve orbend in a vertical plane.

viding another` bend orcurve in a vertical plane.V

Fig. `10Lis a perspective `view showing `the end ofthe curvedsection illustrated in Fig. 9.

Figrll is a top plan view of` the drive which unit also includesia track section.

Fig. i12 is a sectional viewtaken substantially on line I2-I2 of-V 11 showing some of` the drive unit structure. o l

VFig. `13 is a .view taken` substantially on line |3-'`l 3 -of Fig. 12 showing Athe drive` means and the conveyer chain Vassociated therewith. .1 Fig. 14-is a sectionalview taken substantially on line lit-I4 of- Fig-..1l showing the arrangement` for the'accumulated slack in the chain. `-`Fig..l5is a sectional" view taken substantially on line I5-I5of Fig. 11. u t

Fig. `16` is' a view showing a modied `form of 55 trolley `for ycarrying heavier` work pieces.

` Fig. 8 is a View .of a section vof track unit,

the form of angle iron rails positionedso that one leg is verticaliandthe other horizontal. A

`combined connector andhanger which maybe a Vmalleable casting is illustrated at 2. The interior of the hanger is provided with faces 3 for engag 2 2 Y In Fig. 6 a 90 horizontal curve section is shown ing the vertical legs of the angles and with pro,

jections 4 which provide a groove for the receps" tion of the edge of vthe upstanding leg ,0fthe -f angle. The hanger has supporting partsS-uny Preferably the Vjoint i I l in one rail is offset relative to the jointwin the derlying the track sections.

other, as shown in Fig. 3, where the joint in' one rail is shown at 6 and the other at' 1. The... rhanger is provided withnbosses 8. drilled and tapped for thereceptlon of clampingscrewsfSf which may be locked by nuts I0. These bosses and the screws therein are disposed so that the clamping or setting screws project angularly in two directions so that when the screws bite into the track, the track sections are lined up with each other and held in the connector. Asshown in Fig. 4, the setting screws arepositioned to con.. verge inwardly toward each other so that as one screw bites into one track section and the other bites into the meeting track section, the two sections are urged and held toward each other in abutting relationship. As shown in Fig. 4, the setting screws also diverge upwardly and outwardly so that the top of each rail is abutted against and accurately positioned in the groove formed by the projection 4', and with the vertical leg of the rail abutted and held against the sury face 3. It will be seen, therefore, that the element 2 serves as a connector forA joining the ends of the track sections. However, the element! can not only be used as a connector but also as a hanger as any number of them can beplaced along the track for hanging purposes, as illustrated in Fig. 1.,

' A yoke I4 is pivotally connected t'o the hanger provided with a slot so that one or two supporting rods I1 may be secured thereto by nuts as shown. Due to the fact that the yoke canswing on its Y pivotal connection, the rods I1 may be extended angularly upwardly to be attached to an overmeans or the like. A hanger rod does not even have to be bent toproperly locate it as the yoke structure practically forms a'universal jointbetween the trackand the supporting rods.

The trolley comprises a body member 20 which depends from a pair vof rollers 2|, each ridingon a horizontal le'g'of the angle track members.- -The axle 22 for therollers passes throughanaperture in the body, preferably with an anti-'friction bearing, suchVVV as aY roller bearing, comprising rollers 23. The member 20 may be av malleable casting and it is formed with an integral link section 24 and a depending' part or clevis 25 upon which the work is to be hung. The chain is completed by links 28 pinnedV to the ends of the as-at I5 and this yoke has `an arcuate bight I6 link sections 24 and on each pin 21 are rollers 28, the purpose of which will presently appear. Moreover, the ends of the link sections 24 have rounded upper and lower surfaces as at 29 and the apertures for the pins are elongated as shown at 30 so that the chain is capable of providing considerable slack. Also the rounded surfaces 29 in conjunction with the slack'permit the chain to move through anarc in' a vertical plane so that the conveyer can be extended to diierent elevations.

comprising the two curved angle tracks l with their ends oiset as-.rpreviously described. This section is a one-piece partor element, the tracks being united by'means such as bars 33 ,welded also be' welded thereto. The bight portions of L' these hangers are apertured for receiving the supporting rods. An additional guide plate is providedon the inside tracksection.- This guide plate is shown at'35 and it depends from the inside track and provides a surface upon which the rollers 2B function in the operation ofthe conveyer. v v Y f The section shown in Fig. 8 at 32 is for a curve or radius in a vertical plane, the two track sectionsl being bent asv shown and united by the bars 33 welded thereto andthe section may also be provided'with one or more of the hangers 34. This curved section is for use in joining a horizontal run of -track with an inclined section extending downwardly." 4(See Fig. 1.)

` The section shown'at 31 in Fig. 9 is for a curved part of the track which connects a section of low elevation with sections which incline upwardly therefrom; as shown in Fig. 1. The two track sections are curved as shown and overlying the sections y is a'plate 36' which closes the top of the track and `which preferably extends tangentially beyond the ends of the :urve. This plate 4may serve to hold the tWo track sections together and the section may also be'provided with one or more of the hangers 34. Again the ends of the two tracks are offset of each other.

Now it will be observed that with this construction a factory or plant, which' may be relatively remote from the manufacture of the conveyer parts, may purchase standard lengths of angle iron for a main VAtrack section- The conveyer manufacturer maysupply the factory or plant with the chain, the combined hangers and connectors, a requisite number of curved sections for the horizontal' and vertical curves. If the lengths of the angle iron are all the same the off s et at the ends of the tracks von the curved sections insureV that the trackends will be offset at all joints. As the chain is pulled around va curve in va horizontal plane, the rollers 28 function on the plate 35 (see Figs. 6 and '7). As the chain is pulled through a curved section 31 the trolley rollers may be lifted from the track due to the'tension'in the'chain but the trolley rollers then ride against the under surface of the plate 36. The plate 36 is ofsuficient length to insure the entrance of a trolley thereunder before the tension in the chain tendsto lift it from the track.

. Obviously, as the chain moves over the curved section 32 the tendency is for the trolley rollers to Aremain on the track. vAs explained above, the

.ing lug 65. sideof the drive chain engages the rollers of the in a taut condition.

tageously through belts 43 and 44 associated with. l a speed ratio change lpulley structure generally,

indicatedat 39." The speed ratio reducer has a drive shaft 45 which may operate through chain 46 to drive a sprocket 41 mountedon a shaft hav- `ing a pinion 48for driving the iinal ring gear 49.

Suitablesupports and journals for the drive structure and `shafts are used yas shown.` This ring gear may rest upon a collar 50 and is secured to a drive shaft lfthrough the means ofa shear pin 52 and upon the shaft 5| is a drive sprocket 53 located under the supporting plate structure. Spaced from the sprocket 53 is a stud 54 upon which is journalled an idler sprocket 55.7'

On the under side'of 'thes'upporting plate isa track section (Fig.` 15) including the angle tracks I through whichthe trolleys pass and thistrack section extends beyond the ends of the supporting plate as shown inligs.l 11 and 12. At the end where the chain enters thedrive unit the track section may extend only a short distance long i y enough to receiveone of the connectors. `(Jn the other or outgoing side ofthe drive unit the track extends for a considerable distance, this being shown at the right-hand side of Figs. 11 and `12,

and this track section is suitably secured together by one ormcre' holding` bars 33 and'has hanger straps 34 attachedy thereto. The` track underlying the supporting plate extends adjacent and parallel to a run of a drive chain Eiland at this location the track is provided `with a depending plate lil` against; which the rollers 28 of the conveyer chain functionfor purposesiwhich will presently appear. Also :the portionof the track which extends from the supporting `plate'for the outgoing `chain has depending side platesfor engaging opposite sidesofthe conveyer chain as shown in Fig.v 14. One of these plates may `be the'plate` 6l extended `(Fig. 13) while the other 62 terminates adjacent the sprocket 53, as shown at 63.r

The drive chain 6i) which is driven by the sprocket 53 has lugs 65 which mesh `with the links `lili and these overliasupportingbars 61 andiilil` so that the horizontal runs of the chain between the `sprockets are supported. .As illustrated` in i links.

Fig. l5, the plate` 6| backs up the conveyer chain and thus holds it in engagement with the driv- The bar 61 which is on the idling chain, aslshown in Fig. 15, and this bar is adjustably mounted -as by means of its support `'lll mounted by bolts 1| in slots 12 of asupporting bracket. Thus, by shifting the bar 61 outwardlyrelative to acenterline between the axes of vthe sprockets, the drive chain may be `maintained This type of. drive` may be termed a Caterpillar drive although for purposes herein it canbe termed a vchain or track type drive. 'Thus the two sprockets of the drive have fixed centers and `no adjustment is needed of the centers for taking up of the drive chain. The lugs on thedrive chain maybe welded on to the chain links.

(lll

`shorten the chain.

- It will accordingly be appreciated howrafnum- `beroifstandard parts'can'be furnished and how the 'installation thereof is `relatively simple. The

`curved sections, as shown in Fig. 6; are reversible in that they can be used either for a right-hand reversing the structure'end'for end.

In the operation ofthe conveyer itwill be understood that the drive unit propels the chain which is held suspended from the track and that the `track may extend wherever desired through- 'out theplant. The hangers 2, which alsolserve as connectors where `there isa joint inthe track, can be placed whereverfdesiredalong the length of the track and they `can easily 'be suspended even thoughthere is no supporting structure im.

mediately `above the location of the hanger. Wherever the track is todip down or upwardly 'one or more of the curved sections 32 or 3B `are used. l

y The slack inthe chain is handled so as to make it unnecessaryto `have any extra mechanism `for taking up slack in the conveyer chain. This is y as follows: Inconsidering Fig.` 13, the conveyer chain immediately'to the left of the sprocket 55 e is under tension as itis being pulled `by the drive chain` andthe lugs 65 are spaced so as to fit the conveyer chain. That part of the conveyer chain just to the rightof the sprocket 53, as Fig. l3is viewed, is being pushed and is, in effect, `under- `guiding 4the chain, throughdts rollers 28, thus keeping the chain with `the slack `therein held positively in a determined `path of movement. The length of the side plates 6| and 62 is to be suchy as to accommodate the lminimum slack lwhich can be'taken up by theremcvalof chain For example, where the conveyer chain links have normal 3" centers, a pair of` such links totaling 6" is the least which can be removed to -moved to shorten the chain. This method is carried out in initial installation tov get the right length for the chain and italso may occur after periods of use because `of wear or other reasons;

A modifiediorm of trolley is shown in Fig. 16 where two rollers are used instead of one. This form of trolleymay be used where `theloads to be carried are relatively heavy.

`The modified construction as shown in Figs. 11 and 18 embodies parts fashioned from sheet metal or plate lnplace of malleable castings. In this form the trolley maycomprise a metal piece `15 welded tothe .trolley hub and to a link structure 16 composed of several parts Welded together. VA

`clevis 11 may be Awelded `to the link structure.

The connector, which mayfzalso be used as la hanger, is formed of two sheet or plate `metal parts 19 welded together with crosspieces lland 4having theirlower edges turned in as at 8l `for i .the track as thescrews 82 are tightened. Duewto the fact that the members 19 are of sheet or plate `form, the screws182 `do not extend angularlyto- Ward the jointbetween thetracksbutthis con- If the slack movement at `eachchain pintle is then 4' for the plates struction may, nevertheless, be satisfactorily used as a connector of track sections. Where this connector is to be used as a hanger, a yoke 85 may be pivotally connected to the elements 19 through the-means of a bolt 86 and the bight portion of this yoke may be provided with an elongated slot or several Iapertures 81 for the reception of vone or more hanger rods I1.

, I claim: e A y r1. In a chain conveyer, a track having two spaced rails arranged in a closed path,l a plurality of-load supporting trolleys 4having wheels operating on the rails, said trolleys depending between the rails and extending below the track, an endless chain below and free of the track and comprising alternately arranged center links and side links and vertically disposed pintles connecting the center and side links, each trolley having a center link formation connected into and forming a center link of the chain whereby the chain is supported by the trolleys, a Pair of horirzontally disposed rollers-journalled on each pintle and positioned one above and one below the center link, driving means for engagingl the chain at a' location along its length for moving the chain and trolleys Aalong the track, said chain having slack therein which gives the -chain a total length `in excess of the closed path of the track and which `slack tends to increase as the chain is worn and y extended'in use, whereby the chain upstream from the driving means is under tension and is pulled bythe driving means, and whereby thefslack in Athe chain accumulates immediately downstreamk fromv the driving means where the chain is under compression, and 'guides on opposite sides of the chain spaced apart a 4distance substantially corresponding to the diameter of the rollers for engagement thereby, said guidesv extending from the 'driving means in a downstream direction a distance suilicient to accommodate the length of the., chain under compression with accumulated slack therein substantially equal to the length of at least one center and one side link.

2. In a chain conveyer, a track having two spaced rails arranged in a closed path, a plurality of load supporting trolleys having wheels operating on the rails, said trolleys depending from the track, an endless chain also disposed in said closed path and comprising links pivotally connected together on vertically disposed pins, each trolley having a link formation connected into and forming a link of the chain whereby the chain is ysupported by the trolleys, horizontally disposed Vrollers on the said `pins projecting laterally beyond the vertical sides of the chain, driving means for engaging the chain at a location in the closed path for moving the chain and trolleys along the track, said chain having slack therein which gives it a total length in excess of the length of the closed path of the track and which slack tends to increase as the chain is worn and extended in use, whereby in operation the chain upstream from the driving means r-is under tension and ris pulled by the `driving means, and whereby the slack in the chain ac-` cumulates immediately downstreamv from the driving means where the chain is, for a distance,

under compression, and guides on opposite sides of the chain spaced apart a distance substantially corresponding to the dimension across the rollers so asto be engaged by the rollers, said guides extending from the, driving means in 'a downstream direction a distance sufficient to accommodate the length of chain under compression withaccumulated slack therein equal to atl least the slack represented by one fulllink of the chain. Y

3 In a chain conveyer, a track having two spaced rails arranged in a closed path, a plurality of load supporting trolleys having wheels operating on the rails, said trolleys depending from the track, an vendless chain also disposed in said closed path and comprisinglinks pivota'lly connected together on, verticallyl disposed pins, each trolley having a link formation connected into and forming a link of the chain whereby the chain is supportedby the trolleys, at least one of thelinks connected to eachpin having. an aperture for the pin vwhich is elongated lengthwise of the chain to provide lostplay in .the. chain, horizontally rdisposed rollers journalled on-,.thepins, driving means for engaging the chain'at a location in the closed path `for moving the chain and trolleys along the track, thelost-play between the links providing for slack in-the chain which gives it a total length in excess of the length` of theclosed path of the track and which slack tendsto increase as the chain is worn-and extended in use, lwhereby in operation the chainzupstream -from the driving means is under tensionand is pulled by the driving means, and whereby the slack in the chain accumulates immediately downstream from the driving means where lthe chain is under compression, and guides on opposite sides of the chain arranged tobe engaged by said rollers to vhold the chain in a conned path, said guides extending from the driving means in a downstream direction a distance suiiicient to accommodate the length of chainl under compression with accumulated slack. therein substantially equal to the length oi. at least one full link.

4. In achain conveyer, a track having two spaced rails arranged in a closed path, a plurality of load supporting trolleys having wheels operating on the rails, said trolleys depending from the track, an endless chain also disposed in said closed path and comprising links pivotally connected' together onA vertically disposed pins, leach trolleyhaving a 'link formation connected into 'and'.for'ming a link vof the chain whereby the chain is supported by the trolleys, at least one lof the links connected to each pin having an aperture for the pin which is elongated lengthwise of the 'chain to provide lostplay in the chain,la'horizontally disposed roller journalled adjacent the. ends of each pin with the chain links disposed between the rollers. driving means for engagingl the chain lat a location in the closed pathfor moving the chain and trolleys along the track, the lost-play between the links providing'for slack in the chain which'gives it a totallength in excess of the length of the closed path of the track and which slack tends to increase as the chain is worn and extended in use, whereby in operation the chain vupstream from the driving means is under tension andv is pulled-by the driving means, and

whereby the slack in the chain accumulates im- .mediately downstream from the driving means 'where the chain is under compression, and guides driving means in a downstream direction a disftanoe sufficient tov accommodate the length of chain under compression with accumulated slack therein substantially equal to the length of at least one full link.

5. In a chain conveyer, a track arranged in a.

closed path, a plurality of load supporting trolleys having Wheels operating on the track, said trolleys depending from thel track, an endless chain disposed in said closed path and connected to the trolleys so that the chain is supported by the trolleys, said chain comprising multiplicity of links connected together by vertically disposed pins, at least one link connected to each pin having an aperture for the pin which is elongated lengthwise of the chain to provide a lost-play connection, horizontally disposed rollers on the chain, driving means for engaging the chain at a location in the closed path for moving the chain and the trolleys along thetrack, the lostplay connections providing slack in the chain which gives it a total length in excess of the closed path and which slack tends to increase as the chain is Worn and extended in use, Whereby in operation the chain upstream from the driving means is under tension and is pulled by the driving means, and whereby the slack in the chain accumulates immediately downstream from the driving means Where the chain is under compression, and guides on opposite sides of the chain arranged to be engaged by said rollers, said guides extending from the driving means in a downstream direction a distance sufcient to accommodate the length of chain under compression with accumulated slack therein substantially equal to one complete link of the chain.

WILLIAM H. HUDSON.` 

